The Holland Sentinel's 2008 all-area football team

Sunday

Nov 30, 2008 at 12:01 AMNov 30, 2008 at 4:06 AM

Miguel Aldaco
School: Fennville
Grade: Senior
Position: Defensive back/quarterback
Season recap: Made 43 tackles and two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. Rushed for 1,085 yards and threw for nine TDs.
Coach’s quote: “Miguel was one of our toughest kids on defense. He was a large part of our team both throwing and especially running.” — Tim Schipper

Nate Bazan
School: Zeeland West
Grade: Senior
Position: Linebacker/tight end
Season recap: No. 1 for the Dux with 68 tackles, an average of nearly eight per game. Split time on offense between tight end and guard.
Coach’s quote: “Nate was definitely our emotional leader, and he was named our MVP by his teammates. He was our most consistent blocker on offense.” — John Shillito

Nate Brink
School: Holland Christian
Grade: Senior
Position: Defensive line/offensive line
Season recap: Helped Maroons capture first football state championship. Two-way player who didn’t get pushed around on the line of scrimmage.
Coach’s quote: “He gives a presence on the offensive and defensive lines. He’s opposite of Mark Timmerman on defense, and we feel like that gives great balance.” — Willie Snead III

Tyler Brunsting
School: Saugatuck
Grade: Junior
Position: Offensive/defensive line
Season recap: Leading blocker on offense that averaged 35 points and 353.5 rushing yards per game. Played tackle. Finished with 4,234 yards of total offense.
Coach’s quote: “Tyler has great size (6-foot-6, 270 pounds). He has tremendous feet, balance and quickness for a big man. He is a smart football player.” — Bill Dunn

Jordan DeJonge
School: Holland Christian
Grade: Senior
Position: Offensive line
Season recap: Anchored the Maroons’ high-powered offense at center. Handled coverage calls at the line of scrimmage. Helped Holland Christian become the first team from Holland to win a football state title.
Coach’s quote: “He’s just been solid in the middle. He and A.J. Westendorp have the ball in their hands every single snap.” — Willie Snead III

Jace Heneveld
School: Zeeland East
Grade: Senior
Position: Quarterback/linebacker
Season recap: Passed for 1,231 yards and 15 touchdowns in Chix’s spread offense. Rushed for 945 yards and 11 touchdowns. Helped Zeeland East post first winning season since 1998.
Coach’s quote: “Jace had the highest impact of anybody on the ‘08 Chix team. He was the face of the program this year.” — Derek Pennington

Matt Hochhalter
School: Holland Christian
Grade: Junior
Position: Defensive back/running back
Season recap: Rushed for 869 yards and 15 touchdowns on team-high 170 carries. Provided balance to Westendorp’s passing. Had 28 receptions for 359 yards and three touchdowns.
Coach’s quote: “When I look back to the first couple of weeks, he’s become a major factor in what we do on offense.” — Willie Snead III

Adam Israels
School: Holland
Grade: Senior
Position: Tight end/linebacker
Season recap: Totaled 299 yards and one touchdown receiving. Also recorded 55 tackles, including nine for a loss. Had five pass breakups and three sacks.
Coach’s quote: “Adam is a great weapon as a tight end. He is a complete football player. He has a great knack for coming up with a big play when we needed it.” — Shawn McManus

John Kamps
School: Zeeland East
Grade: Junior
Position: Offensive line
Season recap: Played tackle on offensive line, which helped offensive average 252 yards per game. One of four juniors to start up front.
Coach’s quote: “He protected (quarterback) Jace Heneveld’s back side in the passing game. John is probably the player who will be recruited the most next season.” — Derek
Pennington

Kolin Kazen
School: Saugatuck
Grade: Senior
Position: Wide receiver/
defensive back
Season recap: Led team with 96 tackles, 33 solos. Intercepted five passes and broke up three. Netted 239 yards and two touchdowns received.
Coach’s quote: “Kolin is a tremendous two-way player. He was our go-to receiver on offense. He was also a great defensive back who was a downhill player.” — Bill Dunn

Alex Kronemeyer
School: Hamilton
Grade: Senior
Position: Linebacker/tight end
Season recap: Led the Hawkeyes with 71 solo tackles. Had 87.5 total tackles, including six for loss. Made four pass breakups. Also caught 223 yards and three touchdowns.
Coach’s quote: “Alex moved from corner to middle linebacker this year. He was all over the field. He was our most productive defensive player.” — Chris Myers

Desmond Morgan
School: West Ottawa
Grade: Sophomore
Position: Linebacker
Season recap: Second team with 85 tackles in second season as a starter on varsity. Also scored three touchdowns as a running back. Named all-conference in O-K Red.
Coach’s quote: “Desmond packs a great punch and gets after the ball. He and Travis Valdo had some outstanding hits this year.” — Jim Caserta

Matt Overbeek
School: Holland Christian
Grade: Junior
Position: Linebacker/offensive line
Season recap: Second-leading tackler of underrated defense. Also helped protect all-state quarterback A.J. Westendorp. Helped the Maroons beat Detroit Country Day in Division 4 state championship game.
Coach’s quote: “We lost a couple of inside linebackers, and he was able to step in and be solid. Being a young guy, he’s done a nice job with being in the middle.” — Willie Snead III

Ryan Puente
School: Holland
Grade: Senior
Position: Cornerback/running back
Season recap: Intercepted three passes and totaled 33 tackles. Rushed for 744 yards and 10 touchdowns. Caught three TD passes.
Coach’s quote: “Ryan was the main cog in our running game. He was a physical runner who made many yards after contact. He split time on defense at cornerback and linebacker.”
— Shawn McManus

David Ptacek
School: Hamilton
Grade: Senior
Position: Defensive back/
quarterback
Season recap: Recorded four interceptions, one for a TD. Had 13 pass breakups and 35 tackles. Accounted for 10 passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns at quarterback.
Coach’s quote: “David is a great athlete who is an even better person. He is looking at playing football at Princeton.” — Chris Myers

Austin Schild
School: Hamilton
Grade: Senior
Position: Running back/defensive back
Season recap: Rushed for 1,054 yards and 11 touchdowns on 12 carries. Also had 203 yards and one touchdown receiving. Honorable-mention all-state in Division 3-4.
Coach’s quote: “Austin was the most diverse running back in our league. He was a threat to score every time he touched the ball.” — Chris Myers

Jake Seiler
School: Holland
Grade: Senior
Position: Guard/linebacker
Season recap: Led team with 78 tackles despite missing two games. Recorded two sacks and two pass knockdowns.
Coach’s quote: “Jake was a great two-way player for us. We lost great balance to our offense when he was hurt. He created quite a bit of havoc which resulted in tackles for other players.” — Shawn McManus

Erick Silva
School: Saugatuck
Grade: Senior
Position: Fullback/linebacker
Season recap: Rushed 2,043 yards — an average of 185.7 yards per game and 10.2 per carry. Had 26 TD runs and one TD pass. Recorded 65 tackles, including 24 solo.
Coach’s quote: “Erick is a special athlete who has tremendous balance, strength and vision as a running back.” — Bill Dunn

Willie Snead IV
School: Holland Christian
Grade: Sophomore
Position: Wide receiver/defensive back
Season recap: Led state champion Maroons with 942 yards receiving. Also had five touchdown receptions, including one in state finals. One of Holland Christian’s top defensive backs.
Coach’s quote: “He’s been exposed to football on a large level down in Florida. He understands what it’s all about. He’s always looking for a challenge.” — Willie Snead III

Mark Timmerman
School: Holland Christian
Grade: Senior
Position: Linebacker
Season recap: Recorded a team-high 12 tackles in state championship victory. Also blocked a punt to set up a key score. Led the Maroons in tackles this season.
Coach’s quote: “He’s always around the football on defense. I like our energy when he’s in there. He makes it hard to protect the edges.” — Willie Snead III

Travis Valdo
School: West Ottawa
Grade: Senior
Position: Offensive line/linebacker
Season recap: Top tackler for the Panthers with 88. Started on offense and defense. Named all-conference in O-K Red on offensive line. Played on varsity for three seasons.
Coach’s quote: “He is an outstanding hitter. He is a hard worker and an excellent leader on the field. He had a great year.” — Jim Caserta

Tyler VanTubbergen
School: West Ottawa
Grade: Senior
Position: Quarterback/punter
Season recap: Threw for 2,492 yards and 24 touchdowns. Rushed for 640 yards and five touchdowns. Verbally committed to Western Michigan.
Coach’s quote: “Tyler has an outstanding arm. He has a very quick release and is accurate. He can put touch on the ball, and he throw the long ball accurately.” — Jim Caserta

A.J. Westendorp
School: Holland Christian
Grade: Senior
Position: Quarterback/linebacker
Season recap: Second-most prolific passer in MHSAA history with 3,600 yards. Tied for state record with 40 touchdown passes. Had 65 touchdowns total. Also excelled at linebacker.
Coach’s quote: “He’s been a big playmaker and a great decision maker. He has great leadership skills and a passion for the game.” — Willie Snead III